Kuhn looks ahead to European Championships

Keystone

Swiss coach Köbi Kuhn has promised that his side will bounce back from their disappointing World Cup exit and emerge stronger for the European championships.

His team was given a hero’s welcome upon returning to Zurich from Germany on Tuesday evening.

An estimated 5,000 fans had gathered at Zurich airport to cheer the Swiss football squad.

Switzerland crashed out in the last 16 against Ukraine on Monday after a penalty shoot-out, but Kuhn is already looking ahead to Euro 2008 – co-hosted by the Swiss.

“It’s fantastic. Our young team needs this kind of support,” Kuhn told public television.

The Swiss manager has always claimed, even before the World Cup, that his long-term goal is to bring success to Switzerland in two years’ time.

“I feel a profound disappointment and a great emptiness right now, but in my experience the worst moments and bitterest experiences eventually evaporate,” he said after the defeat against Ukraine.

Positive aspect

Kuhn said the team would work through this defeat, accept it and draw on the positive aspects of the whole World Cup experience.

“To go through the specific rhythm of a big tournament was important,” he added. “In 2004 [at the European championships] the young team was still paying its dues, but this time around we had advanced to the point that we could qualify from our group.”

The coach said the tournament was a success for the Swiss, and his team was now better prepared for Euro 2008.

He blamed a “bad case of nerves” for his side’s failure to convert a single spot kick during their World Cup penalty shoot-out loss to Ukraine. The penalty lottery was necessary after neither side managed to score in regulation time.

Nerves

But Kuhn did not know why Marco Streller, Tranquillo Barnetta and Ricardo Cabanas all cracked under pressure as Switzerland tumbled out of the tournament in the last 16 in Cologne on Monday.

“In morning training everyone practised penalties aiming at different corners of the net and our goalkeepers stood no chance,” he said. “The only explanation is that their nerves were shot.”

He also defended his decision to substitute striker and regular penalty taker Alex Frei and bring in Mauro Lustrinelli with just a few minutes of extra-time left to play.

“The penalty shoot-out was in the back of my mind but I wanted to bring on a fresh striker. In Lustrinelli I had such a player who is also good at taking penalties,” Kuhn added.

“If I remember correctly we missed three penalties and Frei could only have taken one so why should I rack my brains about this now?”

Optimism

Swiss captain Johann Vogel said it was hard to forget that they missed a chance to make a dream come true.

However he added that he was also keen to put the upset behind him and concentrate on the future.

“We are proud of the way we performed in the World Cup and we are now looking forward to Euro 2008 with optimism,” he said.

Swiss President Moritz Leuenberger congratulated the team on their achievements.

“You ran out of luck on Monday. But it will come back,” he wrote in a text message to Kuhn and his team.

swissinfo, Matthew Allen in Cologne and agencies

In brief

It was Switzerland’s eighth World Cup finals. They reached the quarterfinal stage in 1934, 1938 and 1954.

They were knocked out in the round of 16 by Spain at their last World Cup appearance in 1994, and by Ukraine, 3-0 on penalties, in 2006.

In Germany this year, Switzerland brought the second youngest squad to the World Cup with an average age of 25 years and four months. The youngest squad came from Ghana.

Switzerland and Austria co-host the next European Championships to be held in 2008 and have automatically qualified for the tournament.

Swiss results at 2006 World Cup

Group stage:
France-Switzerland 0-0
Togo-Switzerland 0-2
Switzerland-South Korea 2-0

Round of 16:
Switzerland-Ukraine: 0-3 on penalties after extra time.